Saturday I got severe pain in the chest area. Seemed to radiate from the center of my breast bone. I was diagnosed with costochondritis about 8 years ago and it reoccurs at times. Right now it is inflamed. My question:

I went to the hospital they determined I did not have a heart attack (they want a stress test done though)
Lungs are fine!!!

But the pain I had (and i just had a worse one today) was PAINFUL chest pain and back pain. Unconfortable to sit, lay or stand (but is better standing) It lasts for about 20 to 30 minutes and then fades away. IF I press on the breast bone the pain does feel like I experienced when I was hurting badly. SOOOO.... Has anyone had this pain from costo where it hurts intensively and then goes away in about 20 or so minutes (regular costo pain is there still, but the severe pain is gone in 20 min.)? Also, the gall bladder.... does it do this in this way.

I really did feel I was having a heart attack,but i didn't.
Also I sweat cold and clammy when the pain comes on and then when it is over I am cold and sleepy.

That happens to me once in a while. Most of the time it lasts for days when I have a flare up , but I do get the pain for about an hour then goes away. I usually have a panic attack when it happens b/c it freaks me out so much.

The first 2 times it happened I went to the ER b/c I thought I was having a heart attack. But I wasn't.

Just want to say a little about women and heart attack pain. We know that women don't usually have the exact kind of pain that men do with a heart attack, but a lot of people don't know what the pain does sometimes a act like.
Quite a few years ago my Mama started having a pain kinda under & to the side of her right breast, it'd come & go, kinda like a cramp. Eventually Daddy told her to try his nitro, if it helped it might her heart, so, she tried it and it helped some, a few months later her pain was so bad that she just cried-my Mama crying from body pain is very rare- she went to the e.r. and thankfully they admitted her. For a few days they just watched her, they had a heart moniter on her, the pain would stay away for almost exactly an hour after they'd bring her nitro. Nothing showed heart trouble at all. I will forever be thankful for that heart dr. He said he'd go ahead & do the artreogram, just in case, but he didn't really think he'd find any problem. Her main right artery was 95% blocked They said they didn't know why she hadn't already had a heart attack. A miracle.
I told my dr. about and he said the pain I described sounded fairly common but alot of drs. aren't as aware of it as some.
There was more than just that under the breast pain, shoulder blade pain, some weird feeling up right side of her neck and her gums felt like they were tightening.
Anyway, I like to let others know about this, just in case.
April

gallbladder pain will normally be felt in the left shoulder and it can radiate around to the chest too. i had severe pains with my gallbladder and it had to be removed. things like constipation can make the gallbladder pains worse too as it's pressing on the organs inside.

if you're worried about the possibility of it being your gallbladder, i'd really suggest talking to your doctor about it. ask for a scan and a check up.

also, a good thing to do is keep a pain diary - note down times of the day, severity, is it after eating?, what makes it feel better, what makes it worse, etc, etc. i've started to do that because when i get into the doctor's office, my mind goes blank.

I was told I have costochondritis I have been in severe pain for monthes. I have had mild chest pain for about 1 1/2 years. This pain is so intense I was but on 2 courses of streiods and lots of pain meds. All the streiods did was make me gain weight. I am a stay at home mom now because I cant work because of the crippling pain. I have heard that a autoimmune specialist may help but I cant get in there until feb 6. does anyone else have this and did it turn out to be something more seriuos??????

I also went to the hospital with this pain. it went into my shoulder and back also. it is terrible. I spent three days in the hospital taking tests. After 50, they automatically keep you there running heart enzyme tests. Heart was fine. It started at night and got worse and worse. I had taken 2 vicodins, two tylonel and aleve and that didn't put a dent in the pain. Te doctor gave me a anti inflammatory called Relefen and it finally did the trick. I haven't had it bad for several years now. but I feel it when I lay down. The problem with
Costochondrities is it will not show up on any tests or xrays. Relefan worked great but I also find that an ice pack helps me when I get it bad.

Just want you to know that I have had what your talking about many times. There is a trigger point right in the middleof your chest that will do that too. I always put a hot water bottle on my chest on that pain and it really helps. It can last for a few days or a day and then go away. Do not use dry heat.